Steps in Structural Evaluation of a Water Damaged Property

Structural Stabilization Procedures

There are a few actions you can take to help stabilize your structure, allowing it to dry faster:

1. Ventilation - the most effective way to dry out structure interiors, and much cheaper than air conditioning or supplemental dehumidification. In order to ventilate, you should open doors and windows and install high velocity industrial fans (air circulators) to move large volumes of air. Air movement will help to significantly reduce the potential for mold. Note that it is not recommended to attempt to dry using heat, since it may promote the growth of mold and other water-borne bacteria.

1. Divert water from your property- You can help the diversion process by detecting potential deficiencies and providing temporary grading and shoring. This will help protect your property, and belongings. Note that all shoring actions should be planned and executed by a qualified structural engineer or contractor.

1. Support and reinforcement- You can use temporary reinforcement in order to support unstable building components and leaning structures. One way of reinforcement is to brace and strengthen exposed foundations and decayed or damaged floors and ceilings. You should consult a structural engineer or a licensed contractor to make sure the process is done properly.

1. Roof and drainage- in order to protect the building from further damage, you should clean and repair the structure's roof and roof drainage system. If the existing roof has been damaged, provide temporary protective roof coverings. You should also thoroughly inspect hard ceilings that may be wet, since water can flow a considerable distance on hard ceilings.

1. Remove mud and debris- Carefully remove or hose trapped mud and water debris as water recedes. Be careful and do not unnecessarily damage covered historic finishes or materials. To allow faster drying, remove all sources of moisture within the structure such as standing water and water-logged furnishings.

1. Damaged Walls- You should remove trapped water from cavity wall construction and interior partitions by carefully removing gypsum wall boards and baseboards and drilling a drain hole through the plaster and lath near the bottom of each wall cavity.

You should inspect the walls for mold or moisture. If mold is detected, treat the interior wall studs and plates with disinfectant. If trapped moisture is detected behind wall covering and paneling, remove them to allow natural drying. Make sure you do not damage architecturally significant features.

1. Wood- You should dry the wood using proper ventilation, which will minimize the swelling and warping of the solid wood, flooring and framing. It is also recommended to carefully remove a board every few feet to reduce buckling caused by swelling. In addition, you should protect the wood floors from unnecessary traffic and abuse, until they are dry since wet wood becomes soft and easily damaged.